Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Should I be worried, I tried to get it out but he wasn’t liking it so I stoped... Does this happen a lot, what should I do???

thanks in advance

If it was just "a piece" or two, I wouldn't worry too much. He'll most likely pass it without any problems. If (for some odd reason) he swallowed a whole mouthful (again, I've got no clue how or why this would happen) I might begin to worry a little...namely, I'd watch him for any signs of obstruction and bring him to the vet if he began to display any sypmtoms that would lead me to believe something was wrong.

But, since it was only a small amount, you most likely can relax. Remember, their digestive system allows for them to digest whole bones, I doubt a little plant matter would hurt him.

If you want to avoid this in the future, do what others on this forum have suggested, either

1. Feed in a different container (sometimes can stress out individual animals and can be a pain for you also)

OR

2. Lay down a piece of newspaper over the substrate in his tank/rack and place the prey item on that. There is still a chance he will ingest some of the bedding, but the chance is reduced significantly.

I almost forgot the easiest remedy - switch to newspaper instead of Aspen. I understand this might not look as nice if you have a tank, but if you were to use kraft paper instead of newspaper it shouldn't be too unappealing. Kraft paper (don't know if that's the correct spelling) is an all brown paper that generally comes in a roll like wrapping paper and can be found near the shipping and office supply sections of Kmart and Walmart. It's pretty cheap too...$1.99 at Kmart the last I checked for a 20 (or was it 30?) foot roll.
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Sometimes, things are exactly as they appear...sometimes.

Its not him swallowing it you have to worry about. Its if it gets stuck in his mouth or cuts his mouth that you have to worry about. If this happens it could get infected and could cause mouth rot or something similar. If he swallows it down its usually fine, its when it gets stuck in his mouth and creates infection or something that you have to worry. Just open his mouth and see if there is anything in there, then use tweezers to get it out if there is.

Jason